Patella-splint



W. GRUNDMANN.

PATELLA SPLINT.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 31, 1919.

Patented Apr. 19, 1921.

[rave/1Z0)" Wz'ZZzZz/n Grandma/m I Toall whom it may concern:

V WILLIAM RUNDMANN, otter/Louis, MISSOURI; 3

PATELLA-SPLINT.

' Be it known that 1, WILLIAM GRUNDMANN,

-a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis; MiSSOlII'i, have invented a certain new and useful ilmprovementinrPatella Splints, of which the .following isa full, clear; and exact descriptioms'uch as will en forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to a surgical appliance in the form of a patella splint and j whichris particularly, designed for use in the treatment'of .fracture oi'the patella or knee cap ,xand'the device herein illustrated and :described .is animprovement on the patella splint disclosed in my Patent'No. 1,313,181,;

issued August 12, 1919.

. The principal ob ects of my present-invention are, to generally improve upon and v simplif ClQSGdJlIl myiaforesaid patent;, to provide 7 ,tionwhen applied for;use; and further, to"

"-provide, cthelmainjsplint members with upfthat said members will rest l uponfthe limb when secured in f simple, and easily-operated means for adjusting the positions of the main members of s ,the splint withrespect to each-other,

taining said members in fixed spaced relaturnedj edges so comfortably properposition, thereupon.

.HWiththe' foregoinga-nd other objects in .Vview,iny rinventioniconslsts in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts,'hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the acco'mpanying' drawings, in which I the center b elow'the knee oint; Formed i'n'the'ends' 1 Figure 7 V I patella splint of my' mproved construction.

lis a side elevational View of a Fig. 2 is a, section taken approximately he center offlthe device andshowing a modi Y 7 fied arrangement 'of'the'p'oplite'al pad form .50

ing a partof said device.

Referring by' numerals to the accompanyv in drawings,10,*10 designate strips of resilient metal, preferablyalumimun or brass,f .the same being curved lengthwise soas to fit over a .persons limb immediately above and V Specification of I etters Patent.

the constructionofthe device dis- F a d re-' 7' upon tie'threaded portions disposed openingsll which are adapted to receive the'straps whichretainthe strips in position upon the limb. The .inner. edges of the central portions of these strips'are provided with upwardly projecting curved members 10, to-rest with a considerable' degree of comfort upon the limbf'adjacent to the patella under treatment and in the, event that the members 10 are drawn into relatively close contact with thelimb, the upturned l edges o-fgthe parts 10 cannot cutinto and injure the fleshy parts of-th e limb adjacent to the patella, jnor will said edges press against said partsin such a manner as to creatediscomfort oto the patient.

r Formedjintegral'with the inneredgesof upturned edges 13 and the slots 11 in said members are outwardly projecting pairs of perforated. earsf 15; f'Passingrthrough the onsaid rods adjacent to s'aid heads Q Oa're Patented Ap1n19y1921. Application filed May 31 1919, Serial 170. 300,874.

' of these curved metal strips are transversely I the members 10 between. the-fiends ofthe GHJI'SWhlChQLIG adjacent to the endsof the 7 members .10 are screw-threadedrods or bolts 19 having rounded heads 20 and mounted 22 which are adapted .to engage on opposite V sides ofone of'the ears 15 and} which last mentioned nuts whenproperly manipulated,

are effective in adjusting one of thelmem- The V apertures through the ears '15 are preferably; reamed or countersunk and this construction,

provides semi ball and socket'joints between-the parts which enables the strips :10 to beuniversally adjusted when being appliedflforiuse.

After the members 10 have been properly spaced apartby proper manipulation of the pairs of nuts 22, nuts-'18 can be manipulated of ro'ds"16 to adjust the angular pos tions of the members 10 with respect to each other. Positioned upon each member 10 is a strap 23,of-leather,1ruber, fabric 'or analogous"materialythe same passing through" the slots 10 in th ends'of saidmember" and one end of'said strapyis' provided with a buckle 24: whereby' the ends of the strap mayJ-be brought together and secured. 7

together with the rounding of 'the heads 201and nuts 21 In. racticdriit is desirable the ends of s5 nuts 211*1Mounted on said rods l9 are nuts 7 r r the strap when secured be arranged so that the buckles 19 occupy positions on top of the strips at which polnts they are readlly accessible when the straps are to be secured.

or released.

a Arranged to slide ,freelyon each straps betweenthe ends of the member 10 is a submembersIO. y,

In the treatment of fractured patella, an I adhesive plasterer bandage may be applied to the injured limb and the latter" stantially rectangular padof leather,-

rubber, heavy fabric, or the like, and when the splint is properly applied for use, the

two pads are positioned edge to edge and disposed directly over the popliteal space. 1 (See Fig. 3.) These pads provide a sub stantial and at the same time a'yielding support for the straps which pass over the extendedfor a "limited time upon a posterior splint of wire, felt, on plaster of laris', such posterior splint beinglheldby a bandage or adhesive plaster so as tocompletelyimmobilizethe knee joint. In the: event of a compound fracture of the patella,

it'may be advisable to draw the parts of the patella together and unite the same with suitable (sutures, but for a simple fracture,

thense of sutures is usually not required. A j 1 The members 10 ofmy improved splint are :inow applied to the front portion. of the limb immediately above .andbelow the pa .tella, and the ends of the straps. 23 aresecuredto thebu'ckles 24 and thepads 25 on 5 said straps are adjusted so'as to occupy po- 1 sitions immediately beneath the popliteal .1 space. Thegstraps should be drawn sufii a ciently tight to maintain thesplint in its adjusted my position upon thelimb,: but, at]: thefsame time, said straps should be sufficientlyloose to permit free ;.circulation' of blood through theylimb. 1

-The members 10 are adjusted in spaced. relationship by. proper manipulation of the.

nuts22 upon the threaded members 19 and 1 j the angulan positions ofthe members 10 i justable fixation membersin thatthey. determine. the spaced relation between the; nuts on said memberscan be adjusted so i with respect to each other can be regulated by proper manipulation of the nuts 18 on,

the threadedportions of the rods 16. The threaded rods'; 19 which i connect the end portions-0f the members 10. constitute adsplint; members 10 and at the same time the as to. change the positionsof said, splint members.

Obviously, when the splint is ap lied, the members 10 will be adjustedtoward each other so'as to bring the fragments of the." broken patella together and both the leather strapssand themembers 10 of the splint will require repeated adjustment as the swelling around the injured joint decreases The l and when this is done, passed beneath the padyas illustrated in pendedclaims. ,.What"I claim is: i

lengthwise and adapted to exert leverage, which latter action will cause the edgesof the fragments of the broken patella to rise and separate.

In the event that there is any tendency of the edges of the fragments of the patella to rise andseparate, a separate strap 25 of suitable flexible material is passed around the knee between the splint members-10 and this strap will beardirectly upon the limb over the injured patella, with the result .that the fragments thereof will be maintained 'in proper relative positions un'til Fig. 4

splint should not be tightened to such an 1 I extent as to cause the quadriceps tendon to Myimproved splint, applied for'use occup es comparativelylittle space upon the limb adjacent to the patella' and therefore that portionof the limb adjacent to the injured patella can be readily massaged and which action it hasbeenfound in practice .is' 'very helpful in efiectinga knitting togethercr unionof' the parts. j M A surgicalappliance of my improved construction is comparatively simple',,lcan' be easilyapplied for use, is readily adjustable and very 'eflectivein the use for; which is intended, namely, the treatment of fractured patella.

changes. in the size; form "and construction of the various .pa-rts'of my improved patella splint canbe made andsubstituted for those herein shown and described,jwithout de- -parting from the spirit. of my invention,

the scope of which .setjforthfin the a 1. A patella? splint comprising a pair of strips of resilient material fit over the limb immediately above andbelow the knee joint, both edges of the central portionfof each strip being curved upwardly a flexible member associated. with each strip-and adaptedto'pass beneath the limb for re-' 'taining the strip in positionfor use, rods connecting the end portions of said'strips,

:adjustable means on said rods for. retaining said stripsf-inspacedrelationship, and. ad-

justable means connecting said strips for determining the angular positions of said strips with respect to each other.

2. A patella splint comprising a pair of stripsofresilientmetal which are curved lengthwise and adaptedto fit over the limb 'immediately above and below the knee joint,

whichare curved It will be readily understood that minor a strap associated with each strip and adapted to pass beneath the limb for retaining the strip in position thereupon, a pair of perforated ears on each end portion of each strip, rods passing through the corresponding members of the pairs of ears, and adjustable members on said rods, one

pair of said rods and its adjustable mem bers being adapted to retain the metal strips in spaced relationship and of rods and their adjustable members being adapted todetermine the angular positions of the strips with respect to each other While in use.

the other pair 10 In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my 15 

